Carpet fabric washing means

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for continuous fluid treatment of carpet fabric is provided in which the fluid treating medium is delivered to a cascade for application to the fabric from a pump-fed manifold means arranged to insure complete and uniform treatment across the entire width of the fabric. Excellent washing or scouring results are obtained with attendant development of good bulk and enhanced hand and pattern definition.

United States Patent [1 1 Zeiffer 1 Oct. 14, 1975 CARPET FABRIC WASHING MEANS Dieter Friedrich Zeiffer, Charlotte, NC.

[73] Assignee: Gaston County Dyeing Machine Company, Mount Holly, NC.

[22] Filed: Dec. 17, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 425,542

[75] Inventor:

[52] US. Cl. 68/18 F; 68/184; 118/325;

118/419; 118/429 [51] Int. Cl. D06B 3/10 [58] Field of Search 68/18 F, 62, 175, 181 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,067,915 1/1937 Haeberlin 68/184 2,161,812 6/1939 Gretler 68/175 3,152,464 10/1964 Faraguna 68/184 3,241,343 3/1966 Yazawa 68/181 R X 3,346,893 10/1967 Carpenter..... 68/181 R X 3,353,381 11/1967 Taylor 68/181 R X 3,457,898 7/1969 Frauchiger et a1... 68/62 X 3,739,605 6/1973 Baker 68/205 R X Primary Examiner-Harvey C. Hornsby Assistant Examiner-Philip R. Coe

Attorney, Agent, or FirmRichards, Shefte & Pinckney [5 7 ABSTRACT Apparatus for continuous fluid treatment of carpet fabric is provided in which the fluid treating medium is delivered to a cascade for application to the fabric from a pump-fed manifold means arranged to insure complete and uniform treatment across the entire width of the fabric. Excellent washing or scouring results are obtained with attendant development of good bulk and enhanced hand and pattern definition.

11 Claims, 11 Drawing Figures U.S. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 10f5 3,911,701

US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 2 of5 3,911,701

US. Patent 0a. 14, 1975 Sheet 3 of5 3,911,701

US. Patent Oct. 14, 1975 Sheet 4 of5 3,911,701

1 CARPET FABRIC WASHING MEANS CROSS-REFERENCES TO RELATED APPLICATIONS None; although U.S. Pat. No. 3,346,893 discloses and claims a fluid treatment method utilizing apparatus of the same general sort for handling woven goods and is of related interest for that reason.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION As illustrated by the above-noted prior US. Pat. No. 3,346,893, and the prior art references cited therein, it is well-established practice to wash or scour or otherwise fluid treat a variety of textile fiber or fabric materials continuously by passing such materials through a so-called cascade to which the fluid treating medium is delivered for high energy application. Where carpet fabric is to be handled, however, special problems are presented because of the considerably greater fabric width, as well as the widely varying weights and thicknesses, that must be accommodated. With woven goods, the normal range of widths encountered is in the order of 72 to 100 inches, sometimes ranging as high as 120 inches in the case of sheeting or the like, whereas provision must be madefor handling widths as great as 200 in dealing with carpet fabric. As a result, substantially greater difficulty is faced in providing for an equalized application of the treating medium across the entire carpet fabric width. In addition, the variety of weights and thicknesses common in carpet fabric present further difficulty in arranging readily for sufficiently selective modulation of the operating conditions to maintain the treating medium application properly suited for a particular. carpet fabric of the variety that must be handled. v I

The present invention deals with these difficulties in an exceptionally effective manner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION the present invention employs a pump-fed manifold lengthwise equalization of treating medium flow char-- acteristies at,the,header exterior.-The housing is completed by a closed bottom likewise. arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation with the header to provide a second expansion space and restricted elongate orifice succession for further flow equalization, and by an additional side wall and opposed end wall portions extending upwardly from the housing bottom to form a riser space from which discharged treating medium finally overflows the deflector plate for delivcry to the cascade in weir fashion.

The cascade is arranged vertically with a manifold means at both sides adjacent the top end thereof, and with guide rolls mounted above and below the cascade for selective positioning to train a carpet fabric web for passage upwardly or downwardly through the cascade.

lar carpet fabric. Also, the cascades are made easily adi justable to regulate the flow therethrough of deliv ered treating medium for effective application to the particular carpet fabric being handled, and an advantageous arrangement of filter means is provided in the treating medium circulation system.

The foregoing and other features of the present in-' vention are described in further detail below in connection with the accompanying drawings that include ill'ustrations according to the listing that follows.

DESCRIPTION or THE DRAWINGS I FIG. 1 is a side elevation of carpet fabric washing means embodying the present invention;

FIG 2 is a corresponding, although somewhat enlarged, left end elevation;

FIG. 3 is a further enlarged transverse sectional detail taken parallel to the FIG. 2 end elevation;

FIGS. 3a through FIG. 6 are respective-diagrams of the various ways in which a carpet fabric webcan be means for delivering fluid treating medium, commonly. 7

tor plate facing these discharge fittings and forming 7 part of a housing by which the treating medium discharge is directed circumferentially at the exterior of the header before delivery to the cascade The manifold header is advantageously pump-fed at both ends while being partitioned transversely at an intermediate position to limit the number of lateral discharge fittings fed from each end. Also, the discharge fittings are tubular in form and should be proportioned in length to extend inwardly of the header sufficiently to insure an orderly discharge of treating medium from' the header perpendicular to the header axis. 1

The housing deflector platementioned above is angled to direct the treating medium discharge toward a closed housing side aligned with the cascade and arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation.

then directed successively through an expansion space and a restricted elongated orifice provided by the re- .trained through the washing means;

FIG. 7 is longitudinal section of an end portion of the manifold means taken substantially at the line 7--7 in FIG. 3;

means;

FIG. 9 is a detail illustrating the arrangement for adjusting the cascades; and

FIG. 10 is a generally corresponding illustration I viewing the FIG. 9 illustration from the right.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION FIGS, 1 and 2 of the drawings indicate the exterior aspect and-general-proportioning of the carpet fabric washing means of the present invention as arranged for handling the considerable web width that must be accommodated. In general terms, the v washingmeansarr'angementincludes a manifold section 10, a cascade section 11, a tank section 12, and circulation pumps 13 by whiehwash water, .or otherfluid treating'medium,

lated arrangement of the closed housing side toprovide is delivered from tank section 12 tothe manifold section I0 for application to carpet fabric in the cascade section 11 and return therefrom to the tank section 12. Manifold section 10 is supported above tank section 12 on framing standards l4 .-that house delivery conduits 15 from pumps 13 (see FIG. 7), and the elements of cascade section 11 are pivotally hung on standards 14 as is described in particular further below. Tank section 12 forms the base of the apparatus and is suitably arranged on transverse bolsters, as at 16 in FIG. 1, for installation.

As illustrated in greater detail by FIG. 3, guide rolls 17-23 are mounted above and below the manifold and cascade sections and 11, respectively, for training a carpet web, as at W, through the apparatus for fluid treatment. The carpet web training arrangement indicated in FIG. 3 is only one of several made possible by selective positioning of guide rolls 17-23 as will be noted further presently, but this indicated arrangement offers certain advantages that render it particularly suitable for initial consideration in describing the circulation of fluid treating medium in the apparatus for application to a carpet web W in accordance with the present invention.

In describing the circulation system it is convenient to start at the manifold section 10 as seen in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8. FIG. 7 details a manifold end portion in longitudinal section at which a previously mentioned pump delivery conduit is seen connected for feeding wash water to a plenum chamber 23. The manifold section 10 includes a manifolding unit for each cascade provided, so that in the illustrated embodiment two such units are employed, and both ends of each unit have a plenum chamber 23 arranged thereat and connected with a pump 13 so as to be fed at both ends. Between the plenum chambers 23 at each manifolding unit end portion a pair of tubular headers 24 are installed at a spacing that positions them for respectively delivering wash water at both sides of the cascade served. Open- 5 ings for installation of the headers 24 are provided at the inwardly facing plenum chamber walls 25, and the installation is preferably effected by means of clamp collar assemblies, as indicated at 26 in FIG. 7, so that the headers 24 may be removed readily whenever nee- The tubular headers 24 extend lengthwise across the entire width of the cascade served and have a plurality of lateral discharge fittings 28 spaced lengthwise thereof. These fittings 28 are tubular in form and are installed at oversize openings in the header wall by means of grommets 29, so that the diametric size of the fittings 28 can be selected or changed to suit particular processing conditions. In any event, however, the fittings 28 are proportioned in length to extend inwardly of the headers 24 sufficiently for insuring an orderly discharge of wash water therefrom perpendicular to the header axis as an initial step in providing for the highly uniform, extended width application of wash water that is a particular feature of the present invention. Additionally in the same connection, because the headers 24 are pump-fed from both ends they are partitioned transversely at an intermediate, normally a central, position to limit the number oflateral discharge fittings 28 that are fed from each end, so as to eliminate any need for, and the attendant difficulty in, maintaining a precise operating balance between the opposing pumps 13. A suitable partitioning arrangement is illustrated in FIG. 8 as being formed by a central structural support plate 30 with closure plates 31 spaced at each side thereof within the header 24.

Further provision for uniform widthwisc wash water application is made by arranging the headers 24 in relation to housings that include angled deflector plates 32 facing the discharge fittings 28 as seen best in FIG. 3, but appearing also in FIGS. 7 and 8. The deflector plates 32 are angled for directing the wash water discharge from header fittings 28 initially toward closed housing sides 33 that are aligned vertically above the respective elements of the cascade served, and that are arranged in respective planes spaced parallel to tangent relation with the tubular header 24 housed. Continuing closed housing bottom portions 34 are likewise arranged in respective planes spaced parallel to tangent relation with the header 24 housed, and the housings are completed by additional side walls 35 and opposed walls, the latter being provided in common for both headers 24 in each manifolding unit and being formed by the previously mentioned inwardly facing walls 25 of plenum chambers 23. These side and end walls 35 and 25 extend upwardly from the housing bottoms 34 to form riser spaces from which wash water discharged by the headers 24 ultimately overflows the deflector plates 32 for delivery at both sides of the related cascade in weir fashion, the deflector plates 32 being angularly positioned and assembled for such overflow on rearward and forward supporting angles 36 and 37 extending between the housing end walls 25 and bearing in depending relation respectively on the headers 24 and at the upper edges of the housing sides 33 as seen in FIG. 3.

By reason of the foregoing housing arrangement, wash water discharged by the header fittings 28, and reaching the deflector plates 32 in orderly and perpendicularly directed flow paths because of the previously noted arrangement of fittings 28, is fanned out laterally by deflector plates 32 as well as being directed therefrom successively through an expansion space and a following restricted elongate orifice provided by the disposition of housing sides 33 in relation to headers 24, and then through a second expansion space and restricted elongate orifice succession similarly provided by the disposition of housing bottom portions 34, so that upon reaching the riser spaces formed by the housing side and end walls 35 and 25 the discharged wash water has been directed circumferentially at the exterior of headers 24 in a manner causing such lengthwise equalization of wash water flow characteristics as to produce an exceptionally uniform wash water overflow above the deflector plates 32 across the entire width of the cascade being supplied.

The direction of wash water flow through the manifold section 10 as just described is indicated generally by arrows in FIGS. 3, 7 and 8, and the wash water level for overflowing the deflector plates 32 from the manifold riser spaces is represented by broken lines at 38 in FIG. 3. As indicated, the overflowing wash water is delivered from both sides of each manifolding unit downwardly between the adjacent housing sides 33 to the cascade section 11. The cascades of this section, one of which is arranged below each manifolding unit, are formed between spaced side wall members 39 and 40 having opposed corrugated faces such as are commonly employed to produce the high energy application of fluid treating medium characterizing cascade operationv The lower ends of these side wall members 39 and 40 extend downwardly into the tank section 12 as shown in FIG. 3, and wash water discharged by the cascades is collected initially in an upper recovery chamber 41 of the tank section 12 in which recovered wash water is maintained at about the level indicated by the broken line at 42 in FIG. 3 during normal operation. At this level 42, a wash water overflow from the recovery chamber 41 takes place continually over a weir portion 43 of the chamber structure, and the overflow is taken off through drain lines 44 (compare FIGS. 1 and 3) either to waste or to counterflow through any preceding washing means employed in series with the illustrated embodiment. Make-up water is supplied to chamber 41 through inlet connections at 45, the make-up being fresh or reconditioned water if the washing means is employed alone or as the last of a series, and being drainage from a succeeding washing means if it is not last.

A particular feature of the overflow arrangement from the recovery chamber 41 is a skimming effect that rids the wash water supply nicely at this point of floating debris and impurities. The main flow from the recovery chamber 41 is through a filter 46 installed below the overflow weir portion 43 so as in effect to take the place of an entire side wall of chamber 41 and provide an active filtering area having a lengthwise extent equal at least to the width of the cascades. As a result, the filter 46 has a minimal specific load imposed thereat for prolonging service life and is readily arranged at the indicated disposition to be changed for cleaning without interrupting filtration during operation. Wash water flow through filter 46 proceeds downwardly to a lower sump chamber 47 of tank section 41. In doing so, the filtered wash water passes a sparger at 48 fed through a steam connection at 49 for maintaining and controlling wash water temperature in the course of providing a sump supply at inlets 50 to pumps 13 by which circulation of wash water in the foregoing manner is repeated. Provision for draining the entire tank section 12 is made at 51 under the control of a suitable valve means as indicated at 52 operated from a handwheel at 53.

A particularly advantageous arrangement for training or threading carpet web through the illustrated washing means is indicated by the broken line path at W in FIG. 3, from which the carpet web W is seen to enter over the upper guide roll 17 at the left and pass downwardly therefrom through the aligned cascade to pass under the lower guide roll 20, from which it is taken over the adjacent centrally disposed guide roll 21 before being passed under guide roll 22 at the lower end of the other cascade to proceed upwardly therethrough and leave the washing means over upper guide roll 19 at the left. In describing the advantage of this arrangement it should be noted first that the carpet web W always enters the washing means with its tufted or pile side up. Accordingly, after initial wash water application during downward passage through the left-hand cascade in FIG. 3, training of the carpet web W over the centrally disposed lower guide roll 21 results in opening up the pile thereat, which faces upwardly at this stage as well, and also causes the web W to form a turbulence inducing barrier within recovery chamber 41 forcomponents of the wash water dischargefrom both cascades that substantially supplements the cascade fluid treatment as the web passes from one cascade to the other. In addition, the threading path under these circumstances is Lil such as to subject the web W to a final countercurrent wash water flow in the righthand cascade by which any lint or other debris that may have been loosened or picked up during treatment up to this point is effectively stripped and returned to chamber 41 during the final wash water application.

Because it is difficult to predict, however, a given carpet construction or style will behave during washing treatment, the guide rolls 1722 are arranged in the washing means of the present invention to allow a variety of threading arrangements, as diagrammed in FIGS. 3a through 6, so that the one best suited for the carpet web being handled may be selected. FIG. 3a diagrams the FIG. 3 threading arrangement for comparison with the other indicated possibilities. In FIG. 4, the web W is shown entering again over the upper guide roll 17 to pass downwardly through the left-hand cascade to guide roll 20 at the lower end thereof, but this time is taken under the central guide roll 21, as well as roll 20, and returned therefrom to the upper middle guide roll 18 from which it is directed over the upper guide roll 19 at the right to pass downwardly also through the right-hand cascade and be taken away under lower guide roll 22. By this arrangement, the web W is subjected to concurrent wash water flow treatment in both cascades, which may be desirable if the pile of the carpet being treated is leaning noticeably away from the traveling direction as it is brought to the washing means, for the concurrent wash water flow can produce a much improved standing disposition of the'pile in such a case and thereby improve penetration materially in any following dye application.

FIG. 5 diagrams an opposite arrangement in effect that provides countercurrent wash water flow in both cascades which may be needed for the reason just explained if the pile initially leans in the traveling direction and a dye application is to follow. The FIG. 5 arrangement also provides final debris stripping action in the right-hand cascade because of the countercurrent flow, and this arrangement or the one diagrammed in FIG. 3a may be necessary if the carpet web W being handled is subject to much fiber loss during fluid treatment, as a good deal of lost fiber is apt to be carried along on the web W if it exists under lower roll 22 and consequently through recovery chamber 41 in such a case.

The last threading arrangement diagrammed in FIG. 6 contrasts with the FIG. 3a arrangement in that it subjects the web W first to countercurrent wash water flow and then to a final concurrent flow treatment. An opening effect is also exerted at the pile face as the web W travels over the upper middle guide roll 18, and the same thing is true in FIGS. 4 and 5, although the additional treatment by induced turbulence in recovery chamber 41 is not obtained in this instance, but is effected partially and separately in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 6 arrangement would be indicated where the more vigorous washing action resulting from counterflow was desired initially in combination with a gentler final treatment by concurrent flow.

The necessary positioning adjustment of guide rolls 1722 for the various threading arrangements diagrammed in FIGS. 3a-6 is provided for at the upper rolls 17-19 by mounting them at elongated slots 17l9' in supporting plates 54 carried on the plenum chambers 23 above the manifold section 10 (compare FIGS. 3 and 7). Of the remaining lower guide rolls -22, the central one 21 is mounted in journal brackets 21 fixed at opposite ends of the tank section 12, while the other two 20 and 22 are mounted in either of aligned brackets fixed in pairs 3940 at the lower ends of cascade side wall members 39 and 40. As shown in FIG. 3, these bracket pairs 39-40 are formed with mounting assembly slots 39"40 that are open-ended in facing relation, so that upon lower end spacing adjustment of the cascade side wall members 39 and 40 to a contiguous relation a guide roll 20 or 22 supported by aligned brackets 39' or 40 at the lower end of one side wall member 39 or 40 can be shifted readily to a supported position on the brackets carried by the other side wall member.

Such lower end spacing adjustment of the cascade side wall members 39 and 40 for the foregoing purpose, and also for modulating the cascade treatment in relation to the thickness of the carpet web W being handled is provided for as illustrated in FIGS. 9 and 10. Side wall members 39 and 40 include end flanges 55 and 56 between which spaced gusset plates 57 and 58 are installed in back of the opposed corrugated faces of the cascade in bracing relation. The previously mentioned lower guide roll brackets 3940 are attached at the lower ends of end flanges 55 and 56, while pivot apertures 59 are formed in these end flanges adjacent their upper ends at which they are hung on pivot studs 60 (compare FIGS. 9 and 10). The pivot studs 60 are installed on support brackets 61 fixed to the apparatus framing standards 14 so that a fixed spacing is maintained at the upper end of the cascades but the side wall members 39 and 40 thereof depend from the pivot studs 60 for lower end spacing adjustment.

To control such adjustment the side wall members 39 and 40 are articulated by adjusting means which includes handwheels 62 at each end of the cascades from which lead screws 63 extend through positioning blocks 64 mounted on the framing standards 14 and at which the handwheels 62 and lead screws 63 are held at a fixed longitudinal position while remaining free to rotate. Beyond positioning blocks 64 the lead screws 63 further extend through nuts 65 fixed at the adjacent end of sleeves 66 that are splined at 66 so as to be held against rotation while remaining free to shift longitudinally in slideways 67 that are also mounted on the framing standards 14. The sleeves also carry pairs of depending lugs 68 for each cascade that are spaced to straddle transverse pins 69 fitted in a pair of spaced plates 70 that are mounted on pivot studs at 71 carried on bracket plates 72 at the lower ends of framing standards 14. The spaced plates 70 are additionally fitted with spaced transverse pins 73 and 74 arranged diametrically at opposite sides of the pivot studs 71 and extending to the cascade to ride in grooves 75 and 76 formed vertically in the respective end flanges 55 and 56 thereof. The spacing of transverse pins 73 and 74 is such that when they are aligned horizontally the eascade side wall members 39 and 40 are positioned with a uniform spacing between their opposed corrugated faces from top to bottom. When handwheels 62 are turned, however, to shift the sleeves 66 to the right, as seen in FIG. 9, the spaced plates 70 are rotated clockwise about their pivot studs 71 causing the transverse pins 73 and 74 to ride respectively upward and downward in end flange grooves 75 and 76 and thereby adjustably narrow the lower end spacing of the cascade side wall members 39 and 40 either for guide roll transfer at their lower ends or for suiting the thickness of carpet web W for processing to the best advantage.

Finally, in connection with the cascades, it should be noted that the space between the opposed corrugated faces of the side wall members 39 and 40 is closed by strips 77 of rubber or other flexible material that is installed by means of clamping bars 78 on the end flanges 55 and 56 to span the spacing therebetween, so as to complete the vertical processing enclosure at each cascade while accommodating the lower end spacing adjustment just described by simply buckling to the extent required by any adjustment made.

Carpet fabric washing means embodying the present invention operates with particular effectiveness for prescouring to remove tints, grease and oils, and additionally produces good bulk development, aids in promoting fiber uptake of chemicals and dyes during subsequent processing, and consequently results in developing better hand and pattern definition. Equally effective results are obtained in washing after printing to remove unfixed dyes and gums, or in washing after dyeing to remove excess dye, carrier and chemicals.

The present invention has been described in detail above for purposes of illustration only and is not intended to be limited by this description or otherwise to exclude any variation or equivalent arrangement that would be apparent from, or reasonably suggested by, the foregoing disclosure to the skill of the art.

I claim:

1. In apparatus for continuous fluid treatment of carpet fabric in web form that incorporates an elongate fluid treatment cascade of sufficient width to have the carpet web passed therethrough at open width, the improvement which comprises a pump-fed manifold for delivering fluid treating medium to said cascade across the entire width thereof, said manifold comprising a tubular header in which treating medium is initially received for delivery, a plurality of lateral discharge fittings spaced lengthwise of said header, and housing means, including an angled deflector plate facing said discharge fittings, for directing treating medium discharge from said fittings circumferentially at the exterior of said header before delivery to said cascade, said housing deflector plate being angled for directing treating medium discharge initially toward a closed housing means side aligned with said cascade, and said closed housing means side being arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation with said tubular header, whereby discharged treating medium is fanned out laterally by said deflector plate and is also directed therefrom successively through an expansion space and a following restricted elongate orifice provided by the arrangement of said closed housing means side in relation to said header with resulting lengthwise equalization of treating medium flow characteristics at said header exterior.

2. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said manifold header is pump-fed at both ends, and is partitioned transversely at an intermediate position to limit the number of lateral discharge fittings fed from each end.

3. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said lateral discharge fittings are tubular in form and are installed substantially flush with the header exterior to extend inwardly of said header sufficiently to insure an orderly discharge of treating medium from said header perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof.

4. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means deflector plate is angled for directing treating medium discharge initially toward a closed housing side aligned with said cascade, and wherein said closed housing side is arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation with said tubular header. whereby discharged treating medium is fanned out laterally by said deflector plate and is also directed therefrom successively through an expansion space and a following restricted elongate orifice provided by the arrangement of said closed housing side in relation to said header with resulting lengthwise equalization of treating medium flow characteristics at said header exterior.

5. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means is completed by an additional side wall and opposed end wall portions extending upwardly from said housing bottom to form a riser space from which discharged treating medium overflows said deflector plate for delivery to said cascade in weir fashion.

6. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid treatment cascade is vertically arranged, and wherein a manifold header fitted for discharge and an associated housing means are arranged at both sides of said cascade adjacent the top end thereof and extending across the full cascade width.

7. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 6 wherein guide rolls are mounted above and below said cascade for selective positioning to train a carpet web for passage upwardly or downwardly through said cascade so as to be subjected selectively to countercurrent or concurrent treating medium flow within the cascade.

8. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid treatment cascade is formed between spaced side wall members depending from respective pivots at a fixed upper end spacing and articulated for lower end spacing adjustment to suit the character of carpet web being passed therethrough.

9. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 8 wherein each of said cascade side wall members carries guide roll support brackets aligned at the respective lower ends thereof, and wherein said support brackets are formed with mounting assembly slots for said guide rolls that are open-ended in facing relation, whereby lower end adjustment of said side wall members to a contiguous relation allows a guide roll supported by the brackets at the lower end of one side wall member to be shifted readily to a supported position on the brackets carried by the other side wall member.

10. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 9 wherein a pair of fluid treatment cascades is provided in spaced parallel relation, guide rolls are supported at the respective lower ends of the adjacent side wall members of the pair, and a further guide roll is mounted at a fixed central poition between said first mentioned guide rolls, whereby a carpet web issuing from the lower end of one cascade of said pair can be trained over said centrally positioned guide roll between said first mentioned guide rolls before being introduced at the lower end of the other cascade of said pair and thereby exert an advantageous opening effect on said carpet web as well as causing the carpet web to form a turbulence inducing barrier for treating medium flow from said cascades that enhances the degree of fluid treatment obtained.

11. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein fluid treating medium is pump-fed to said manifold from a sump to which flow from said cascade is recirculated through a filter means, and wherein said filter means is provided with an active filtering area having a lengthwise extent equal at least to the width of said cascade so that a minimal specific filtering load is imposed thereat.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Pate t N 3,911,701 Dated October 14, 1975 Inventor) Dieter Friedrich Zeiffer It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown 'below:

Column 1, line 26, after "200" insert inches; Column 2, line 43, after "is" insert a; Column 9, cancel claim 4 and insert therefor 4. The apparatusimprovement defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means further includes a closed bottom likewise arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation with said tubular header and providing a second expansion space and restricted elongate orifice successi'on for further lengthwise equalization of treating medium flow characteristics Column 10 line 19 delete "poition" and insert therefor -position.

Signed and Scaled this thirtieth Day of December 1975 [SEAL] Arrest:

RUTH C. MASON A nesting Officer (I. .AmAlL-DANN Commissioner a] Farm: and Trademarks 

1. In apparatus for continuous fluid treatment of carpet fabric in web form that incorporates an elongate fluid treatment cascade of sufficient width to have the carpet web passed therethrough at open width, the improvement which comprises a pump-fed manifold for delivering fluid treating medium to said cascade across the entire width thereof, said manifold comprising a tubular header in which treating medium is initially received for delivery, a plurality of lateral discharge fittings spaced lengthwise of said header, and housing means, including an angled deflector plate facing said discharge fittings, for directing treating medium discharge from said fittings circumferentially at the exterior of said header before delivery to said cascade, said housing deflector plate being angled for directing treating medium discharge initially toward a closed housing means side aligned with said cascade, and said closed housing means side being arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation with said tubular header, whereby discharged treating medium is fanned out laterally by said deflector plate and is also directed therefrom successively through an expansion space and a following restricted elongate orifice provided by the arrangement of said closed housing means side in relation to said header with resulting lengthwise equalization of treating medium flow characteristics at said header exterior.
 2. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said manifold header is pump-fed at both ends, and is partitioned transversely at an intermediate position to limit the number of lateral discharge fittings fed from each end.
 3. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said lateral discharge fittings are tubular in form and are installed substantially flush with the header exterior to extend inwardly of said header sufficiently to insure an orderly discharge of treating medium from said header perpendicular to the longitudinal axis thereof.
 4. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means deflector plate is angled for directing treating medium discharge initially toward a closed housing side aligned with said cascade, and wherein said closed housing side is arranged in a plane spaced parallel to tangent relation with said tubular header, whereby discharged treating medium is fanned out laterally by said deflector plate and is also directed therefrom successively through an expansion space and a following restricted elongate orifice provided by the arrangement of said closed housing side in relation to said header with resulting lengthwise equalization of treating medium flow characteristics at said header exterior.
 5. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said housing means is completed by an additional side wall and opposed end wall portions extending upwardly from said housing bottom to form a riser space from which discharged treating medium overflows said deflector plate for delivery to said cascade in weir fashion.
 6. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid treatment cascade is vertically arranged, and wherein a manifold header fitted for discharge and an associated housing means are arranged at both sides of said cascade adjacent the top end thereof and extending across the full cascade width.
 7. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 6 wherein guide rolls are mounted above and below said cascade for selective positioning to train a carpet web for passage upwardly or downwardly through said cascade so as to be subjected selectively to countercurrent or concurrent treating medium flow within the cascade.
 8. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein said fluid treatment cascade is formed between spaced side wall members depending from respective pivots at a fixed upper end spacing and articulated for lower end spacing adjustment to suit the character of carpet web being passed therethrough.
 9. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 8 wherein each of said cascade side wall members carries guide roll support brackets aligned at the respective lower ends thereof, and wherein said support brackets are formed with mounting assembly slots for said guide rolls that are open-ended in facing relation, whereby lower end adjustment of said side wall members to a contiguous relation allows a guide roll supported by the brackets at the lower end of one side wall member to be shifted readily to a supported position on the brackets carried by the other side wall member.
 10. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 9 wherein a pair of fluid treatment cascades is provided in spaced parallel relation, guide rolls are supported at the respective lower ends of the adjacent side wall members of the pair, and a further guide roll is mounted at a fixed central poition between said first mentioned guide rolls, whereby a carpet web issuing from the lower end of one cascade of said pair can be trained over said centrally positioned guide roll between said first mentioned guide rolls before being introduced at the lower end of the other cascade of said pair and thereby exert an advantageous opeNing effect on said carpet web as well as causing the carpet web to form a turbulence inducing barrier for treating medium flow from said cascades that enhances the degree of fluid treatment obtained.
 11. The apparatus improvement defined in claim 1 wherein fluid treating medium is pump-fed to said manifold from a sump to which flow from said cascade is recirculated through a filter means, and wherein said filter means is provided with an active filtering area having a lengthwise extent equal at least to the width of said cascade so that a minimal specific filtering load is imposed thereat. 